As telecommunication s networks become more complex and the traffic load increases there is a need to determine the routing of traffic within a network so as to minimise the number of communication channels used, to reduce the risk of being unable to handle traffic and to minimise the total cost to the system operator. At present, traffic routing is determined largely on an empirical basis as a full analysis of a complex network to obtain an analytical solution is an intractable problem. It is thus very difficult if not impossible for an operator to ensure that a network is used with a high degree of efficiency under all traffic conditions. It is also difficult for an operator to provide efficient allocation of new traffic routes on demand.
The object of the present invention is to minimise or to overcome this disadvantage.